


Just get married already

by morgrug



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: It begins right after the canon, M/M, Yuuri being Yuuri, a tiny little bit of misery, but otherwise light-hearted, everyone talks about Yuuri and Viktor's relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:55:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 11,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28477263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgrug/pseuds/morgrug
Summary: It's 100% canon, just that everyone notices Yuuri and Viktor's affection for each other and they keep talking about it.And a journalist asks Yuuri about it. Which sets his thought processes in motion.Very short chapters
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Comments: 85
Kudos: 122





	1. Chapter 1

Yuuri finished explaining his practice schedule and took a sip of water. The reporter nodded and noted something in her pad. Then she leaned into Yuuri and said in a confidential tone:  
"Let me ask you about your private life now. Everyone is curious how long have the two of you been together."  
"What?"  
"When did your relationship start?"  
Yuuri seemed genuinely confused. Maybe he didn't know the news got out already, the reporter thought.  
"Whose?"  
"Yours and Viktor Nikiforov's of course."  
The reporter gave Yuuri a sly smile. She had expected the ice skater would deny the rumours, but she wasn't going to give up easily. She intended to squeeze all the spicy details out of him.  
"We are not in a relationship," Yuuri answered, just like the reporter had predicted.  
"So you weren't dating during the Cup of China? When Viktor jumped on you after your free skate and kissed you?"  
Yuuri blushed, so the reporter grinned with satisfaction. There was no way he was going to squirrel out of it.  
"He was just encouraging me as my coach. It was a feedback for my performance."  
"Yeah, sure." She smirked.  
Yuuri squirmed in his chair, staring at his hands. He was playing with his ring, he kept turning it on his finger. The reporter grabbed his hand suddenly and he got a scare.  
"Tell me about your couple rings then. I see you're wearing yours right now." She tapped on the ring with her fingernail, but Yuuri yanked his hand out.  
"It's not a couple ring..."  
"Did you get it from Viktor?"  
"Yes..." the man said shakily.  
"Did you give Viktor another ring matching with this one?"  
"Yes... But that was just a thank you gift. And I got that one as a good luck charm."  
The reporter shook her head.  
"Your theme at this year's Grand Prix was LOVE and you said you learned its meaning after you met Viktor," she said, but weirdly she was getting less and less confident about it.  
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we are dating."  
The reporter was confused. Yuuri's story didn't add up at all, but she usually knew when people lied to her, and the ice skater seemed to be telling the truth.  
"So... Is that an unrequited love?" she guessed. "But it has always seemed to me that Viktor Nikiforov was just as enamoured with you as you are with him."  
"Really?!" Yuuri blurted out with big eyes, but he immediately covered his mouth with his hands. "I mean, no, it's not like that," he corrected quickly.  
The reporter leaned back in her chair with a satisfied look on her face. She played with her pen.  
"It looks like you haven't figured out your feelings yet. Funny. The whole world already knows you two are going to get married, and you yourself haven't noticed."  
Yuuri was as red as beetroot and he was sweating heavily.  
"Could you maybe... Not include that in your article?" he pleaded.  
The reporter just laughed.  
"Hell no. It's the best content I've gotten for a while."


	2. Chapter 2

Phichit was taking a shower, when Yuuri called him like ten times.  
After the Grand Prix medals were presented to the winners, Phichit only gave one quick interview in which he said he was not upset about placing sixth and he hoped he would get more opportunities in the future to draw people in Thailand to ice skating. He then returned to his hotel room to call his family and rest a bit.  
When he got out of shower and he saw the number of missed calls, he panicked a little. He called Yuuri back immediately.  
"Where are you?" his friend asked right after picking up the phone, without even saying "Hi".  
"My room. Are you okay?"  
"I need to talk to you. Can I come over now?" Yuuri's voice was shaky and Phichit was worried. Katsuki had just won a silver medal, he should have been celebrating, but it seemed something bad happened to him.  
"Of course. Do you want me to come get you?"  
"No need to. I'll be there in five." And he hung up just like that.  
Phichit got dressed quickly and he made some calming tea for himself and his friend.  
Yuuri stormed into his room like he was being chased. Phichit glanced outside before locking the door, but there was no-one there.  
"What happened?" he asked, sitting his friend on a couch and handing him a cup of tea.  
Yuuri stared at him, not knowing how to begin. Phichit sat facing him and took a sip of his tea.  
"Am I in love with Viktor?" Yuuri asked shyly.  
Phichit spit out the tea. He choked and coughed for a while, but he managed to get a hold of himself and wipe the tears off his face.  
"Why are you asking me this?"  
"You are my best friend. I could use some friendly advice now."  
"So, what made you finally realise your feelings for him?"  
"Finally?" Yuuri was confused.  
"I mean, you two have been all over each other every time I've seen you together, so it was kinda obvious." Phichit shrugged.  
"Why haven't you told me earlier?"  
"I have. When you got the engagement rings, remember?"  
"Those are not engagement rings..." Yuuri muttered. "I thought you were joking."  
Phichit just shook his head with a sigh.  
"And now that you have realised your feelings, what are you going to do?"  
"Have I? I mean, it doesn't make sense to have a crush on him." Yuuri hung his head.  
"Why? Is he lacking anything?" Phichit teased.  
"Of course not. He's Viktor Nikiforov, for heaven's sake," Yuuri snorted.  
"Then what's the problem?"  
"That I have to face him. I shouldn't have a crush on him, it would be awkward."  
"Unless he feels the same way about you."  
"Now that's just impossible."  
"Wanna bet? Ask him."  
Yuuri just whined loudly and sunk into the couch.


	3. Chapter 3

It had already been decided that Viktor was going back to skating while still being Yuuri's coach. They were going to go to Russia together to train with Yakov, Yuri Plisetsky and other Russian skaters. But before that, the two of them had to return to Japan to celebrate with Yuuri's family and friends and to pack their stuff before moving to Petersburg.  
Viktor and Yuuri had talked about it right after the Grand Prix Finale, before Yuuri went to the interviews. But after the interviews Yuuri didn't feel so confident about it anymore. It was too late to change his plans now though. So the following day he was on a plane to Japan, sitting right next to Viktor, who didn't hide his excitement about the beginning of the new phase in their lives together.  
When they first met in the hotel lobby in the morning, Viktor walked up to Yuuri and put his hand on his forehead. Then he placed both of his hands on Yuuri's cheeks and stared at him intensely.  
"How do you feel? Your face does seem a little flushed. Are you sure you're okay to travel now?"  
The previous evening Yuuri had wiggled out of attending the banquet by saying he was feeling a little bit under the weather. The truth was he was scared of facing Viktor and he didn't want to get drunk again and confess his feelings like that or do something even more embarrassing. Phichit, being the good friend he was, vouched for him, saying he had taken his temperature and it was a bit elevated.  
"I am fine," he whined, disentangling from Viktor's arms. He was glad Viktor assumed his flush was just a symptom of sickness. Yuuri himself was aware all too well that the actual reason was Viktor's closeness.  
"You've been overworking yourself lately, but now that the Grand Prix is over you will be able to rest a little and recover. In the meantime, I'll take care of you," Viktor promised with a winning smile. He took Yuuri's bag and gestured Yuuri to go outside the building. Yuuri tried to protest, but when he tried to take his bag back from Viktor and their hands touched on its handle, he blushed again and he almost swooned.  
"No, that won't do," Viktor said, pushing Yuuri's hand away from the luggage. "You're barely standing. I'll take it."  
Yuuri gave up and he plodded to a taxi Viktor hailed.  
During the ride to the airport Viktor was sitting closer to Yuuri than it was necessary. He seemed to be unknowing of that, looking out the window and rambling on about Yuuri's performance in the finale, the beautiful city they were just leaving, their future training in Russia and how Yuuri deserved to eat a dozen servings of katsudon now. Yuuri on the other hand was painfully aware of it, and when at some point Viktor thoughtlessly placed his hand on Yuuri's knee, Yuuri almost failed to contain a high-pitched squeak from leaving his mouth.  
The almost fourteen hours long flight obviously was an even more complex challenge for Yuuri. When Viktor fell asleep on his shoulder, he felt an urge to run away and an urge to wake him up and kiss him with all of his desperation at the same time. Fighting both of these urges prevented him from falling asleep for the entire flight and when they finally arrived at Yuuri's parents' house, he was so exhausted he skipped the welcoming party and locked himself up in his bedroom. Viktor justified him, saying he got sick after training too much. No-one protested, because he looked sick indeed.


	4. Chapter 4

Yuuri woke up when he heard someone tiddling around him. He opened his eyes carefully, but luckily it was just Mari. He sat up on his bed and rubbed his face.  
"You're up," Mari noticed. "You slept for over twelve hours. I brought you some vitamins and tea." She pointed to a tray she had just placed next to Yuuri's bed.  
"I don't need it, I'm not really sick. Just tired."  
"Exhausted, rather. When you came home yesterday, you looked like a ghost," Mari said, tilting her head and staring at him intensely. "Did you really overwork yourself so much for the Grand Prix? Or did something else happen?"  
"How do you know?" Yuuri asked leerily. "Did Phichit tell you?" He didn't really mind Mari knowing about it, but Phichit had promised he wouldn't tell anyone. If he told her, who else did he tell?  
"No..." she said, taking her phone out, "but thanks for the clue. If you won't tell me, I'll just call him and torture him until he tells me everything."  
"Then how?" he kept questioning.  
"I'm your big sister, kiddo. I know you. You've been training tirelessly before, but it never got you this wrecked. Except for when you lost the Grand Prix last year and you started doubting yourself. So what is it this time? You didn't win gold, but silver is a great accomplishment as well, and you actually did very well. You even beat Viktor Nikiforov's record."  
At the mention of Viktor, Yuuri felt weak. Mari noticed a change in his expression.  
"Really? Are you self-conscious about your skating again?"  
"It's not about skating," Yuuri muttered.  
Mari gave him a surprised look.  
"That's something new."  
She sat cross-legged in front of him and took his hands in hers.  
"Tell me, please. Maybe I can help."  
Yuuri took a deep breath and decided to talk.  
"I gave an interview after the finale."  
When he said it out loud, he realised he didn't even know if it was out yet. He suddenly pushed Mari away and hurried to find his phone. He scrolled through the headlines frantically.  
"So... You said something stupid? Or did they say something to you?" Mari guessed.  
Yuuri looked up from the phone, distracted. He didn't see the article anywhere. It must have not been published yet. He blinked thinking about Mari's question.  
"Both...?" he said under his breath. He sat back on his bed and continued in a whisper.  
"She asked me if Viktor and I are in a relationship."  
"And you said...?" Mari prompted.  
"Aren't you surprised?"  
"Surprised about what?" Mari didn't understand.  
"That she thought we are in a relationship..."  
"Not at all. He took a break from skating and came all the way to Japan to become your coach, while you weren't even in your top form nor were you very successful. You said during a press conference that he made you realise what love means. And you hug and kiss all the time when you're on camera together. It's natural to assume that you're dating," she recited with a straight face.  
Yuuri stared at her in awe.  
"Really?" he uttered. She just nodded in reply.  
"Well, and now he's going to hear about that, too," he muttered after being silent for almost a minute. "The reporter said she is going to publish the interview, even though I asked her not to."  
Mari snorted.  
"Of course she's going to publish it after you asked her not to. It just adds to the drama."  
But she saw how uncomfortable Yuuri seemed, so she changed back into a helpful older sister.  
"And what exactly are you worried about?"  
"That Viktor will tell me to leave him alone now. Because it will be too awkward between us," Yuuri sobbed out, tears appearing in his eyes.  
"Oh, Yuuri," Mari said gently, hugging him, "he's never going to do that. He'll never tell you to go away."  
"How can you be so sure?" Yuuri asked tearily.  
"Because he just stayed up all night, pestering our mom to teach him how to cook katsudon, so that he could make it for you."  
At that, Yuuri shot up, quickly wiped the tears off his face and ran to the kitchen. His mom was napping half-sitting on an armchair and Viktor was bustling about many pots and bowls scattered around the kitchen. There was some wet greenstuff attached to his cheek. Viktor's eyes lit up, when he noticed Yuuri.  
"Good morning. Are you feeling better today?" he said with a smile that made Yuuri weak at the knees.


	5. Chapter 5

He got a text from Leo de la Iglesia. It was weird in itself, as they hardly ever spoke other than exchanging pleasantries upon meeting during competitions. But then, the message was just a link. There was no explanation. At first he thought someone hacked Leo's profile and was sending out spam. But he was too intrigued. He clicked on the link.

> * * *
> 
> **Melodrama-like love story on ice. Or is it?**
> 
> _by Ramona Rodriguez_
> 
> This season the ice-skating world admired the amazing ascent of Yuuri Katsuki's abilities and self-confidence. The Japanese ice-skater, who seemed to have ended his career after last year's bad patch, surprisingly returned to skating, with none other than the legend of ice-skating Viktor Nikiforov as his coach. Yuuri Katsuki not only regained his former shape, he surpassed everything he had achieved before and his performances this year exceeded everyone's expectations. He crowned the season with winning silver during Grand Prix Finale in Barcelona and beating the free skate world record, previously occupied by Viktor Nikiforov. In an interview he confessed that his accomplishments are to be credited to Viktor Nikiforov's guidance.
> 
> The close cooperation between the two famous ice-skaters has piqued all of their fans' interests. Yuuri Katsuki and Viktor Nikiforov themselves have contributed greatly to spreading the rumours, openly showcasing their affection for each other on many occasions. Viktor's unexpected decision to take a break from competing and become Yuuri's coach instead had caused sensation. Followed by Yuuri Katsuki's choice of Grand Prix series theme as "Love" and his emotional speech emphasizing Viktor's influence on his understanding of this word, it had fueled the rumours about the two men's relationship. When Viktor Nikiforov kissed Yuuri Katsuki publicly after the latter's performance in China, it seemed that their relationship had already become official. The truth however turns out to be different from what the public assumes.
> 
> In an exclusive interview conducted after the Grand Prix finale Yuuri Katsuki had denied the rumours. In fact, the ice-skater seemed to be very surprised by the suggestion that he and Viktor Nikiforov are dating. He claimed their displays of affection towards each other are a part of their coach-competitor relation. He said he had never regarded any of their activities romantic in any sense. His genuine shock proved that their relationship is still ambiguous. His reaction didn't show any signs of averseness though, so we can hope he just needs a little push. We are all yet to wait until we will be able to witness them realise their feelings for each other and take their relationship to a next level. Let's have patience and keep rooting for them!
> 
> * * *

Viktor stared at his phone wordlessly. He felt a wave of panic spread through his body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> Thanks to everyone who's reading my story. I hope you enjoy it. ^^  
> If you'd like to bash me for my grammar, spelling or stylistic errors, or share any other constuctive negative feedback, feel free to do so.  
> (Except for if it's about mixing British and American English, because I don't care anyway)  
> Love ya <3


	6. Chapter 6

An upcoming video call from Christophe Giacometti shook Viktor out of lethargy.  
"I read an article about you," Chris said straight from the shoulder. "Have you?"  
Viktor nodded.  
"It's over now, isn't it?" he asked dully.  
"Why? I thought you would be happy. It's a great opportunity."  
Viktor snorted. Chris was the only person he ever told about his feelings for Yuuri, so he was disappointed that he had to explain something so obvious to him.  
"It turns out I was wrong all along. I hoped he let me do all of those things because he had feelings for me too. Turns out he just didn't realise what it meant to me. And now that that woman told him, he's probably going to push me away."  
"That's not how I see it. I think he was just surprised, because he likes you too much. He thinks you're too good for him. No-one really believes their celebrity crush can come true," Chris said with a wink.  
"Bullshit." Viktor frowned. "I've done a lot to show him that I care about him. We've spent a lot of time together and I thought we got really close. If he doesn't see it that way, it means he doesn't want it to be that way."  
"But the article said he didn't seem unwilling. The reporter who interviewed him wrote that you just need more time. She said she's still rooting for you," Chris tried to convince him.  
"She only wrote that to not disappoint our fans. So that shippers could ship."  
Viktor saying these words with a grim expression on his face looked so funny, Chris couldn't help but laugh.  
"Yeah, go ahead and mock me. There's nothing else we can do now, anyway," Viktor continued in the same tone and Chris needed some determination to stop giggling.  
"Calm down. Think logically. He gave that interview some time ago and yet he still took you home, right?" he tried to reason, but the outcome was contrary to what he wanted to achieve.  
"Oh my god, he did! He had the interview right after the Grand Prix finale. And he got sick afterwards. I thought it was because of how hard he had trained, but I was wrong. He got sick because someone told him I have feelings for him. My feelings for him made him sick. And it means he's sick of me!" Viktor rambled, more and more distraught.  
Chris facepalmed. "Please do me a favour and hit yourself in the head with something heavy," he honed.  
"Even today, I made him twenty kilograms of katsudon and he only..."  
"You did what?!" Chris interrupted, shocked.  
Viktor blushed and pouted.  
"I wanted to do something nice for him to congratulate him for his great performance. But he only tried a little and he ran away. So you see, he hates me now."  
"Maybe I don't know Yuuri as well as you do, but I'm sure you're terribly wrong. He's probably just stressed out, not knowing what you'll do after you read the article. You should talk to him. Tell him you're not upset that he took the reporter's bait and talked about your relationship in an interview. And confess at last! He will be like: oh, really? It's too good to be true. I've loved you all of my life. And then you will kiss and you will live happily ever after. Just stop being a pussy and make a move!"  
Viktor looked at him dubiously.  
"Talk to Yuuri!"  
"Yeah?"  
"Yeah. I'm hanging up, but if you two are not in a relationship next time I see you, watch out!"  
And the call was disconnected. Viktor still wasn't convinced, but he didn't really have a choice, did he?. He needed to talk to Yuuri and explain himself. It couldn't get much worse than what it already was, right?  
He underestimated Yuuri's denial.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As my friend once said "Katsuki's denial is a force to be reckoned with". So buckle up.  
> Also it's that friend's birthday today, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! May your internet connection always be well, may there be a lot of ffs to read, may the alcohol always be in abundance and may you not freeze to death while waiting for a bus!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At first I thought it would be a light-hearted story, but I guess I enjoy tormenting fictional characters too much. So here comes some MISERY! ^^ Enjoy ;)  
> It's not very depressing though, just a little bit. A tiny little bit

Yuuri showed up at the rink right after the closing hours and asked Yuuko to let him practice a little. She agreed, as always, and she messaged her family that she would be coming home later today. The triplets got wind of the opportunity and showed up immediately to get some videos of Yuuri's skating. He performed his free skate and his short program in turns without taking any breaks. The third time around Yuuko noticed something was wrong with him, so she sent her daughters home and tried to persuade him to stop. He pretended he didn't hear her. She decided to back out for a while, hoping he would stop after getting tired.  
But half an hour later he was still going on. He kept falling, but he was getting up right away and continuing his routine. With every round he fell more times. He was known for his exceptional stamina, but it was too much even for him. He didn't let himself breathe for even a second and he didn't go easy on himself. He tried to do all the most difficult jumps. Yuuko saw how his limbs trembled when he tried to stand up after a really bad fall, and she decided it was over. She stormed into the ice and she ran to him. He just managed to stand up and he was already performing again, but when Yuuko stood right before him and shouted at him to stop, his legs gave way again.  
He fell to a sitting position. His whole body was shaking and there were tears in his eyes. He breathed heavily, staring at the ice beneath him. Yuuko wanted to take him out of the rink and sit him on a bench, but he wasn't responding. It seemed now that he got knocked off stride, the exhaustion finally hit him and he couldn't move anymore. So she decided to give him a moment and she went to grab a bottle of water. After she returned, she massaged his legs lightly, trying to check if he hadn't injured himself, while he tossed the entire bottle back.  
After he was done, he finally looked up at her and mumbled: "I'm sorry".  
"No need to apologize to me," Yuuko replied, passing him a box of tissues to wipe the tears and sweat from his face. "But also, don't do that ever again."  
Yuuri tried to stand up, but he gave up with a moan.  
"Can I sit here for a while?" he asked. "Just a couple minutes more and I'll go."  
"Sure. In the meantime, why don't you tell me what's wrong?" Yuuko raised her eyebrows. "Unless you don't want to. Then, we can just rest here," she added, seeing a scowl on Yuuri's face. She lay down next to him, facing the ceiling. Yuuri lay down the same way, stretching out all of his limbs. For a while they were just lying like that, in silence, staring at the ceiling. Until Yuuri spoke up.  
"How did you know... Takeshi and you... that you two were... a thing?" he asked quietly.  
Yuuko propped herself up on her elbow to look at Yuuri, who was blushing now. She had a bunch of questions, but she decided to answer his first.  
"I guess I just felt it. The way I felt when he was next to me. The way he looked at me. How he cared about me and how I enjoyed caring about him."  
"Did he confess or did you...?"  
"I did. Kinda. One day I just grabbed his hand and held it while staring into his eyes. He got the clue and kissed me. Have we never told you the story?"  
Yuuri sat up too.  
"I guess you did. I just wanted to hear it again." He bit his lip before continuing. "Weren't you afraid he would reject you?"  
"I was. Obviously. But it was worth the risk. And look at us now, married, with children. It was definitely worth it."  
Yuuri didn't ask any more questions. He was staring at his hands, specifically at the ring. Yuuko decided it was her turn.  
"So you've decided to confess to Viktor? Is that what it's about?"  
Yuuri frowned at her.  
"How come everyone guesses it's about Viktor?"  
"You've had a crush on him ever since I showed you the videos of his performances. Ever since we were children."  
Yuuri nodded, blushing again.  
"But how to know if it's just a celebrity crush or... something real?"  
"Do you consider him a stranger? Do you think he's out of your reach?"  
"No..." Yuuri said, but then he hesitated "...and yes."  
"If you can take his hand, he's not out of reach," Yuuko said with a smile, pointing to the door that just opened. A very worried Viktor walked through the door. "I'll leave you two to talk."  
She got up and walked away, waving at Viktor when she passed by him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey  
> Do you want to suffer? I do ;)  
> Sorry about that :p

After talking to Chris, Viktor decided to confess to Yuuri. No matter what. He left his room and looked for him around the house, but he was nowhere to be found. Yuuri's mom told him he left some time ago and went to the Ice Castle. In a sudden fit of determination Viktor decided to go to the rink right away, instead of waiting for Yuuri to come back.

  
Viktor walked up to the barriers and waved at Yuuri who was sitting in the middle of the rink. Yuuri stood up and skated towards him. Viktor saw the way his legs trembled and when he got close enough he also noticed how Yuuri's clothes and hair were soaking wet with sweat.  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
Yuuri nodded quickly. He stared at Viktor's face trying to make up his mind. A lot of people had advised him to confess, but he wasn't even sure what exactly was he to confess. Was he in love with him? Or was it just a celebrity crush?  
He thought of Yuuko's words and he got a crazy idea.  
_If I can hold his hand..._  
He reached for Viktor's hand that was resting on the barrier between them.  
But at the same time Viktor retracted the hand to reach into his pocket. He took his phone out and opened the article showing it to Yuuri.  
"We need to talk."  
It was an earth-shattering moment for Yuuri. In his naivety he interpreted what had just happened as a sign from the universe, telling him Viktor was far beyond his reach. He needed to slump against the barrier, fearing he would fall again. Fresh tears threatened to fall from his eyes, so he lowered his head and stared at Viktor's phone, hoping he wouldn't notice.  
He wasn't able to read the article, his vision blurred by the tears. But he didn't need to. A picture of Viktor lying on top of him on the ice rink was enough for him to imagine what the article was about.  
Viktor waited for Yuuri to finish reading. When he saw him a moment ago he thought it was better to get it out of the way as fast as possible. He remembered what Chris had said: that Yuuri was probably stressed, not knowing what Viktor thought about it.  
He was going to sum up the article with something in the lines of: _everyone guessed that I'm in love with you before you did._ He hoped it would be obvious enough.  
But before he could do that, he heard Yuuri's sobs. He definitely didn't expect _that_. He didn't know what to do.  
Yuuri knew he couldn't pretend he was fine anymore, so instead he looked up at Viktor, tears streaming down his face, and he began to apologize.  
"No no no no, it's fine, it's okay." Viktor tried to calm him down. He put his arms around Yuuri, trying to hug him comfortingly.  
But Yuuri sprang back out of Viktor's reach, leaving him bending over the barriers awkwardly.  
Yuuri was a crying mess, shaking and hiccupping.  
"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have given the interview."  
"It's okay, Yuuri. Okay." Viktor suppressed his own panic and focused on putting Yuuri at ease.  
"No, it's not okay, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have let it happen."  
Yuuri looked very out of it. Viktor took a deep breath. _It's now or never._  
"I came here to tell you..."  
"I shouldn't have agreed when you offered to be my coach."  
"What?"   
"You shouldn't have come to Japan. I shouldn't have let you stay. It would be better if we never met."  
Yuuri was full on panicking now. And at that moment Viktor lost it too. _Never it is._  
He suddenly regretted starting this conversation. He regretted coming to the Ice Castle. He even regretted taking Yuuri out on a date in Barcelona, getting the rings, kissing him in China. He regretted every moment of intimacy he had managed to steal. But he didn't regret becoming Yuuri's coach. He didn't regret coming to Japan. And he would never _ever_ regret meeting him.  
There was probably nothing more hurtful to him that Yuuri could have said.  
Viktor started crying, too. And before he could get hurt anymore, he turned around and left the building. When the door closed behind him, he doubled over and sobbed.  
Inside the building, Yuuri collapsed again and he curled up into a ball, pressing his inflamed face into the ice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I am a monster for making Viktor cry.  
> But my friend just made me cry, making me realise I have been writing dialogues wrong all along and now I have to reread and correct everything I have ever written in English (which, including this ff, is over 20k words)  
> Jk, I am glad she told me now, as opposed to a year from now, when the number is going to be much bigger


	9. Chapter 9

"Where's Yuuri?" Mari asked Viktor, when he returned home. He ignored her, or maybe he didn't hear her at all, walking past her with an expressionless face.  
"Hey! What happened?!" she shouted at him and she got up to run after him, but he shut his door in her face.  
She knew from her mom that the two of them were in the Ice Castle together. Seeing Viktor, she could guess their conversation didn't go well. She waited for Yuuri to return, pacing around the room. Her parents joined her soon. They were about to give up and go to look for him, when he entered the room, led by Yuuko. Yuuri was shaking and he seemed semiconscious. Yuuko looked worried and low-key angry.  
"Get him warm," she ordered. Yuuri's dad took his son by the arm and he led him out of the room.  
"What happened?" Mari asked again. She grabbed Yuuko, in case she also would try to escape before answering.  
"I'm not sure. I left him alone with Viktor on the rink, so they could talk. When I returned half an hour later, Viktor was gone and Yuuri was lying passed out on the ice. I didn't interrogate him on our way here, because I didn't think he could handle it."  
Now all the three women in the room were angry. Yuuri's mom went to Viktor's door and the others followed her. They knocked for a long while, but to no avail. He didn't even say a word. They called him through the door to come out and explain himself. Finally they gave up and decided to resume it in the morning.  
But when they woke up, Viktor's room was empty. All his things were gone. There was just a note left: _Thank you for everything. Sorry for everything._  
They felt bad for attacking him last night. They didn't even know what happened. They were worried he went to Russia on his own, although it didn't make much sense. Viktor and Yuuri had already booked their plane tickets and the departure time was two days from now.  
They looked for him, both by asking around and by going around the city, visiting all of the places he had ever been to.  
The person who managed to locate him first was Minako-sensei. She was visiting all hotels and motels, asking about him. It wasn't easy, because the staff wanted to protect their clients' privacy. But with their pictures from Yuuri's training and competitions, she managed to convince them they were "co-workers". On the second day of hunt for Viktor she finally arrived at the right hotel. The receptionist called Viktor's room before letting her in.

  
Ever since Viktor left Yuuri's home and moved here, he had been wallowing in misery. He ignored everyone's calls. Only once did he pick up a call from Chris, just to call him an idiot and hung up right away. He was convinced Chris's advice was what had caused his current situation.  
He was scrolling through his pictures of Yuuri for the millionth time, when the receptionist called him.  
"There's a guest for you, sir."  
He was surprised. For a second he was hopeful.  
"Who is it?" he asked.  
"Okukawa Minako."  
Not who he'd expected. But he was curious, so he told the receptionist to let her in.  
Soon he heard her knock on the door. He invited her in, asking: "How did you find me?"  
"Wasn't easy," she replied smiling too enthusiastically for his liking, "but a girl has her ways."  
"Okay. Then, _why_ did you find me?" he followed up.  
"Yuuri hasn't told anyone what happened between you two. I brought wine, hoping you would spill over a drink."  
She presented him a wine bottle.  
"Thanks, but I don't want to talk about it."  
Minako-sensei opened the wine bottle anyway and poured some into two plastic cups she took out of her bag. She took Viktor's hand, put a cup in it and made him clink glasses with her.  
"Also; Hiroko, Mari and Yuuko are sorry for lashing out at you."  
Viktor remembered what they had said.  
"Did he get sick because of me again?" he asked.  
"No, he's okay. Other than being heartbroken, of course."  
Viktor snorted. He was the heartbroken one.  
"He wants to resign from skating, because he feels he shouldn't burden you with training him anymore," she continued.  
At that, he felt the panic build up inside him again.  
"You can't let him do that!"  
"You do still care about him, then?" Minako-sensei asked, encouraging Viktor to drink his wine. He ignored both the inciting and the question.  
"If he can't stand me, I'll ask Yakov to be his coach. He will agree! He saw how great of a skater Yuuri is. I won't get in his way, I promise. We will practice separately."  
The woman looked at him intently, contemplating his words.  
"Whatever happened, it's probably a misunderstanding. You should just talk to him and explain it, instead of hiding in here."  
Viktor flicked his hand dismissively. He wasn't going to take any more advice from shippers. Minako-sensei sighed.  
"Okay then. Let's go with your plan for now. Talk to Yakov and I'll let Yuuri know. Cheers!"  
Viktor gave in finally and drank the wine.  
"Don't be late for the plane tomorrow," Minako-sensei said, standing up. She left him the unfinished wine bottle and she walked out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was more of a filler, but we're finally going to Russia!  
> Also, I just started one more fanfic, because I'm a Victuuri trash now ;p


	10. Chapter 10

Viktor and Yuuri arrived at the airport separately and they pretended they didn't know each other all throughout the check-in, security check, customs and boarding. Viktor managed however to say goodbye to Yuuri's family. They said they hoped to meet him again, but he doubted it could happen after he got so plainly rejected by Yuuri. During the flight the two skaters sat next to each other, but neither of them said a word. When at some point Yuuri needed to use the bathroom, he tried to awkwardly leap over Viktor, so he wouldn't have to say "Excuse me" to him. Obviously, it made Viktor sulk even more.  
Yuuri didn't want to talk to Viktor, because he was feeling very embarrassed about his breakdown. He kept beating himself up for making Viktor cry again. He thought he didn't deserve to talk to Viktor. Viktor didn't talk to Yuuri, because he thought Yuuri hated the idea of them being together so much it made him either fall ill or have a panic attack. He was afraid that if he "invaded Yuuri's space", Yuuri might give up skating just to avoid him. For both of them this flight was the most unnerving hours of their lives.

Yuri Plisetsky waited for them at the airport in Petersburg. He texted with Yuuko and she explained to him roughly what had happened. She asked him to help the two idiots make up, but he didn't feel like the right person for the job. He was going to give it a try anyway, so he came to pick them up.  
First he saw Viktor and he called him over.  
"Why are you here? I didn't know you were picking me up," Viktor said lifelessly.  
"I'm picking up both of you. Where is the pig?"  
Viktor just shrugged and he wanted to leave, but Yuri stopped him. He noticed Yuuri Katsuki and he waved at him. The Japanese man walked up to him and greeted him emotionlessly.  
They both looked like zombies. They didn't even acknowledge each other's existence. Katsudon stared at his own shoes and Viktor kept looking around, reading each of the posters and signboards.  
Yuri stood upright, crossed his arms and cleared his throat loudly to get their attention.  
"I saw an article about you," he announced. Viktor gritted his teeth and Yuuri's face turned red, but they didn't respond. "So you _really_ weren't dating all this time? That makes no sense. Aren't you like hopelessly in love with each other?"  
Viktor looked at him resentfully, mouthing _Заткнись_ , Russian for "shut up".  
"Come on," Yuri answered back, "why else would you take a break from skating and go to some Japanese shithole to train this loser? You've obviously had a giant crush on him."  
Viktor grabbed his luggage and without saying a word he walked towards the cab rank. Katsudon hadn't moved an inch since he came here.  
"Pull yourself together, pig!" Yuri shouted at him. It didn't work either, so he kicked him in a calf. It finally got some reaction out of the man, as he cried out "Ouch!" and hopped on one leg, glaring at him. Yuri crossed his arms again and continued in a provocative tone: "I know I'll beat you in all of the competitions to come, but you're supposed to try to make it a challenge." He took the older man by his arm and pulled him outside, to where Viktor had just hailed a taxi. Nikiforov wasn't pleased that Yuri pushed the other Yuuri into the car he was going to take _alone_ , but there was no point arguing with the teenager.


	11. Chapter 11

In the taxi Yuri took his phone out and messaged Yuuko:

> Mission failed.

He looked at the two men, either of them enwrapped in their own thoughts. They looked miserable. Yuri opened his conversation with Otabek.

> **Yuri:  
> ** You were right, there's something off about them.  
>  **Otabek:  
> ** Told ya. Intel from Leo and Guang Hong is always right.  
> Did you manage to make them talk to each other?  
>  **Yuri:  
> ** Nope  
>  **Otabek:  
> ** Did you shout at them and insult them??  
>  **Yuri:  
> ** Obviously  
>  **Otabek:  
> ** Did it involve inflicting physical pain?  
>  **Yuri:  
> ** Of course  
>  **Otabek:  
> **...  
>  **Yuri:  
> ** Shut up  
>  **Otabek:  
> ** I'm not saying anything.

Yuri rolled his eyes at his friend's non-verbal nagging. He put his phone away, as they were approaching the dorms already.  
Yuri lived in the dorms for athletes in Petersburg. The dorms consisted of many units, each of which had a couple of bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and a small lounge. The unit for ice-skaters training under Yakov Feltsman had six bedrooms, although Yuri Plisetsky was usually the only person living there. Others preferred renting their own apartments. Yuri's family didn't want him to live on his own though, because he was underage, so he was condemned to the dorms for now on. He didn't mind it when he had the whole unit to himself, but it was supposed to get crowded now.  
Yuuri Katsuki and Viktor had planned to move into the dorms for a while and look for a place to rent together. But it was before the whole drama started, so now no-one knew what they would do. Viktor used to rent an apartment, but he cancelled his lease agreement when he moved to Japan. On top of that, Georgi Popovich was living here now, too. He used to live with his girlfriend Anya, but she kicked him out of her apartment when they broke up. He refused to start looking for a place to rent, because he hoped Anya would take him back in.  
When they arrived at the dorms, Georgi was lying on the coach in the lounge.  
"Hello, lovebirds," he greeted Viktor and Yuuri. "I am so jealous. Why did no-one write an article about my love for Anya? About how my routine was dedicated to her..."  
"Because no-one cares," Yuri said, pushing Georgi off the coach and sitting in his place.  
Viktor and Yuuri stamped to their respective rooms, not once looking at Georgi.  
"What's up with them?" he asked. Yuri ignored him, because his phone just buzzed. It was a text from Yuuko.

> Don't give up yet. You live with them, you'll have plenty occasions to push them into each other's arms.


	12. Chapter 12

And so Yuri Plisetsky tried. But Viktor and Yuuri didn't make his task easy. They avoided each other at all costs.  
Viktor made Yakov reorganise everyone's training schedules just to make sure Yuuri wouldn't meet him at the rink. Yakov was grumpy about it, but Yuri overheard him talk to Lilia Baranovskaya and he said if they needed some space to deal with their break-up, he was going to give it to them. He said they were worth the inconvenience, because they both offered good hope for the next season. He had always had a weakness for Viktor and he endured all of his moods and whims, so it came as no surprise that he gave in once more. So there was no chance Viktor and Yuuri would run across each other at the rink.  
One could think living together they would meet at home all the time and making them speak to each other would be an easy job. That's what Yuuko thought, as she kept pestering Yuri about results. But in reality Yuuri and Viktor were both too dedicated to their resolution not to talk. They only spent the nights at the dorm, leaving right after waking up and going to bed right after returning in the evenings. Yuri enlisted Leo and Guang Hong's help to install tracking apps on their phones, only to find out they both spent an awful lot of time aimlessly wandering around the city. So instead of making them meet, he tried to talk to them separately.  
"So when are you two going to make up, rent a place and move out together?" he tackled Viktor about it one morning, catching him leaving the bathroom. In fact, he used to think he was going to be frustrated having them both at the dorm all the time, but now he was upset they acted like some ghosts, like they didn't really live there. Still, asking them to move out seemed like a believable strategy, so he tried it. But Viktor just shrugged and mumbled something about starting to look for one-person apartments for rent. Afraid he would only make it worse, Yuri dropped the subject.  
Later he watched Yuuri practice and afterwards he came up to compliment him on the improvement.  
"You should talk to Viktor and thank him for teaching you that one," he suggested, but Yuuri just gave him a pained look and walked away.  
"We should all have a movie night today, with Georgi and Yuuri, now that we live together." - Viktor waved him aside and walked past him.  
"Come home earlier today. Let's cook a dinner for everyone." - Yuuri pretended he didn't hear him, putting his headphones on.  
"Yuuri could really use some advice from you. He's struggling in practice lately." - Viktor's back turned at him.  
"I think Viktor really misses you. He's been down, a shell of a man." - Yuuri's door shut in his face.  
"Hey, can't you help me with that?" he turned to Georgi one evening. "I'm out of ideas already and I need to convince them to talk to each other."  
"Count me out."  
"Just try. You should earn your keep, since you're crashing at my place."  
"It's not your place and I'm not crashing. I actually live here for now, paying the boarding fee and so on. Besides, if I knew how to fix that kind of situations, I would be with Anya right now."  
That was it. Yuri was done with subtlety. It was time to take the "pushing them into each other's arms" literally.  
The next morning in a fit of desperation Yuri woke up early to ambush Yuuri, who started his practice the earliest of them all and usually left before anyone else was up. Yuri checked if Viktor was still asleep in his bed and he ambuscaded in front of Yuuri's room. When Yuuri walked out of his door, Yuri collared him and started pulling him towards Viktor's room. Yuuri was trying to put up a fight, kicking and screaming, but Yuri had the advantage of surprise and somehow he managed to manhandle him all the way to Viktor's bed, where he pushed him on top of the sleeping man.  
Viktor woke up with a whine, but before he was able to understand what was going on, Yuuri scrambled out of there. Yuri followed him out of Viktor's bedroom, but he didn't manage to catch up to him, so instead he just sat on the couch and sulked. He was really out of ideas now.  
At the same time a plane landed in Petersburg. Two women disembarked, they carried their equipment through the security check, fixed their make-up in the bathroom and hailed a taxi to the city center, where they had their breakfast. And then, they were headed to the ice rink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over the weekend I realised I forgot about Makkachin.  
> I've beed thinking about a way to fix it, but well, it wouldn't make a lot of sense now, so let's forget about it for this story.  
> Instead, I wrote a dog-centered ff on Saturday: [Puppy love](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29089143).


	13. Chapter 13

Everyone knew Yuri Plisetsky’s interview and photoshoot was today, because they had been informed the rink was reserved. They were told not to go there between 12:00 at noon and 1:00 p.m., but Mila sneaked in anyway. She wanted to take a look and see how Yuri was doing, if he needed her help or if there was something she could poke fun at later.  
When she entered, Yuri was performing the same fragment of his routine over and over, as the photographer walked around him, taking shots from various perspectives. They were exchanging remarks quietly.  
A woman that Mila hadn’t noticed at first walked up to her, when she tried to get closer to Yuri.  
“You can’t be here now, we’re having a photoshoot,” she said.  
“I know. I just came to check if everything’s fine. I’m Yuri’s friend,” Mila explained.  
“In that case, you can stay and watch. We’re done with the interview, now I’m just waiting for them to take all the photos.” The reporter led Mila to a bench. “Do you want to add something about him that I can include in the article? It’s about him winning gold at Grand Prix and breaking a world record at such a young age. But I’ll take gossip too. Is he dating someone?”  
Mila took a closer look at the reporter and a realization hit her.  
“You’re the one who wrote that article about Viktor and Yuuri, aren’t you?”  
“Yeah. How do you know?”  
“I looked you up after I read it. Loved it. Might say I’m a fan now,” Mila said with a cunning smile. The reporter scented an opportunity and leaned into her.  
“So maybe you can give me some updates on that? For a follow-up. Are they finally dating?”  
“Nope. I thought they would have to, after your article. But I guess they’re too talented for that.”  
“What’s that got to do with the price of eggs? You’re saying good skaters can’t date?”  
“Ah, I meant their other talent – being clueless,” Mila smirked.  
“Good one. Can I quote you on that? When there’s finally something to write the follow-up about.”  
“I’d be honoured. But I don’t think that’ll happen anytime soon,” Mila said with a sigh. “Right now they’re not even talking to each other because of some misunderstanding they’re also not talking about, so no-one really knows what happened.”  
“Can’t you give them a push?” the reporter suggested.  
“A lot of people have already tried, but the results are somehow contrary to the intended. They can’t take a hint.”  
“Hints won’t cut it,” the reporter shook her head decidedly. “You just said yourself they are clueless. So you have to tell them explicitly.”  
“People have told them explicitly to talk to each other, too. Didn’t work.”  
“No, don’t tell them to explain it to each other. You have to explain it to them. Explain to Yuuri that Viktor really likes him, but didn’t want to push too hard. And explain to Viktor that Yuuri really likes him, but he doesn’t believe it is possible for Viktor to like him back.”  
Mila gave the reporter a dubious look.  
“For someone who doesn’t know them personally, you seem to know a lot about them.”  
The reporter smiled innocently.  
“I am a journalist. It’s my job to know things.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, the two women who came to St. Petersburg are just my self-insert OC and her co-worker. Sorry not sorry for leading you on ;p


	14. Chapter 14

After Yuri was done with the photoshoot, Mila recruited him for her new plan.  
"You just have to go with me and chime in with what I say."  
He agreed, happy that someone was finally sharing his burden of reuniting Yuuri and Viktor. He checked their locations on his phone (Mila was surprised he was tracking them, but then she commended his initiative), and because Viktor was still on his way to the rink, they went to a nearby milk bar where Yuuri was having lunch. They sat at the table behind Yuuri, making sure they were close enough for him to hear their conversation. Yuri had told her that they avoided any questions about whatever happened between them, so she decided it was a more efficient way.  
"I thought next season was going to be interesting, with you, Japanese Yuuri and Viktor competing against each other. But it seems now you only have to worry about Chris, and maybe JJ, if he bounces back after whatever that was," she said to Yuri, eyeing Yuuri's back. She saw him stiffen, so she assumed he was listening in and she continued. "Katsuki and Nikiforov pretty much eliminated each other."  
A shiver ran through Yuuri's body. Yuri Plisetsky hummed confirmatively, playing his part.  
"They're both distracted at practice and they're running each other ragged with the conflict. It may really turn out to be Viktor's last season. I didn't get it when people blamed Yuuri from stealing Viktor from them, but now it is his fault. Viktor has never been so much in love with anyone, so getting rejected really got to him."  
Yuuri dropped his knife on the floor and Mila sent Yuri a triumphant smile. Yuri took up the subject.  
"But Katsudon's in trouble too. He just got his one in a lifetime chance and he's wasting it."  
"That's what I'm saying!" Mila gave Yuri thumbs up. "They're both going to suffer a lot if that misunderstanding goes on."  
"But what even happened? They seemed so in love, I don't get how they can fight."  
Mila pretended to think about it for a while before she continued her show.  
"The way I see it, Viktor was trying to be subtle and slowly woo Yuuri. Yuuri didn't pick it up, so Viktor now thinks Yuuri hates the idea of them being together. And that's why he's devastated. I've known him for a while and I didn't know he can be so heartbroken. Poor Viktor. He's falling apart." Mila spoke slowly and clearly, making sure Yuuri heard each word. He was shaking now.  
"But I thought Katsudon liked him back. Why would he reject him?" Yuri continued, adding fuel to the fire. "How cruel."  
"I guess he's in denial. He seems like a shy guy, maybe he needs more time to get enough guts up. Too bad it'll be too late soon. Neither of them can go on like that much longer. We'll see them crash and burn in no time."  
"Such a shame."  
"I forgot to take napkins, be right back," Mila said, standing up. She walked past Yuuri to the counter and picked up a handful of napkins. On her way back to the table she took a closer look at Yuuri. He was petrified, staring into his plate, tears falling from his eyes and gathering on his glasses. When she sat back, she showed Yuri an okay sign. It was enough. Now Yuuri needed a moment to think about it.  
Mila and Yuri finished their meal chatting about different things, including Yuri's interview and their practice schedules. Yuuri didn't move the entire time and when they left he was still staring at his food.  
"Will it work? Is he going to be okay?" Yuri asked when they were outside, looking through the window at Yuuri, who finally unfroze, only to start sobbing. "We were pretty... brutal."  
"He needed a strong push. Hopefully he'll draw the right conclusions. If not, we'll ambush Viktor tomorrow."  
With that they linked arms and returned to the rink.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I missed the opportunity to post something on the Valentine's day... Maybe next year.  
> It's my birthday today and I've been spending a lot of time this week socializing with my family and other people I haven't seen in ages (mostly by text messages, but I'm an introvert and socializing exhausts me, so then I was spending about eight hours a day doing a puzzle to unwind; and also eating everything my grandma made for me), so writing this chapter took me four days, which is outrageous considering how short it is. I was able to finish it today only because I spent over an hour on a bus.

Viktor knew Yuri Plisetsky had an interview with _the_ journalist, so he wanted to talk to him afterwards and check on him. When he got to the rink, Georgi told him Yuri and Mila went to the nearby milk bar for lunch, so he followed.  
He heard Mila's voice before he could see her. When the meaning of her words got across to him, he froze on the spot.  
_"Katsuki and Nikiforov pretty much eliminated each other."_  
They were talking about him. And Yuuri. He didn't want to face them now, because he was afraid they would demand some answers. So he stayed where he was, hidden from their sight but close enough to listen in. He didn't need to try very hard, because Mila was so loud he suspected everyone in the milk bar heard her.  
When they were done gossiping about him and they switched to other topics instead, Viktor slipped away without letting them know he was even there. He needed to do some thinking on his own. Questioning Yuri about the reporter could wait. He texted Yakov that he was feeling unwell and he would be skipping today's practice, and instead of going to the rink he strolled in the opposite direction.  
What Mila had said about him was true. She guessed correctly how he felt. She was also right when she said falling out with Yuuri took a toll on his skating. For the past year Yuuri was his only source of inspiration and losing him resulted in losing all of his passion.  
Could she possibly be right about Yuuri, too? Viktor didn't know how Yuuri was doing during practice. He did his best to avoid him so he didn't see him skate even once since they came to Russia. Yuri Plisetsky had told him that Yuuri needed Viktor's help, but he assumed the kid was just teasing him, enjoying how each mention of Yuuri stung Viktor. But what if he was telling the truth? What if his Yuuri really needed him? What if he was suffering too? Maybe for some incomprehensible reason his Yuuri didn't know how Viktor felt about him and he never intended to push him away. Maybe Mila was right and there was a chance his Yuuri could reciprocate his feelings.  
But no matter how hard he racked his brain, Viktor couldn't understand how Yuuri could have possibly missed all of the signs he was giving him. God, he even kissed him! He said he wanted to marry him! How else could he have interpreted it?!  
Thinking about it, changing his mind back and forth, Viktor wandered around the city aimlessly. At some point he purchased a big bottle of vodka and he sat with it in a park. He only just started drinking, when a group of middle school kids passed by him. They lowered their voices and eyed him suspiciously and he struck they thought him as a drunk hobo. It hurt his pride, but it also motivated him to quit prowling about and go home. Besides, he was tired and cold.  
When he arrived at the dorm, Yuri Plisetsky was the only person there, sitting in the lounge with his laptop and watching something.  
"Is Yuuri home?" Viktor asked skipping the greetings. Little Yuri stared at him with confusion.  
"It's the first time you said his name since you came back from Japan," he noticed. "He's not. I'm alone."  
Ignoring Yuri's questioning look, Viktor lumbered off to his room. Waiting for Yuuri to come back, he sipped his vodka melancholically. Before Yuuri came home, Viktor managed to empty the entire bottle and forget what he was waiting for. He was lying in his bed, watching the recordings of Yuuri's Grand Prix Finale performances, like he did every night before going to sleep, when he heard a careful knock on his door.  
"Come in," he shouted, sitting up. The person who entered his room was Yuuri.  
"Oh, I didn't know you were going to be here," Viktor mumbled, too drunk to think coherently. "I'll leave! It's okay. I'm going now," he assured trying to go around Yuuri without touching him. He was so used to avoiding him, at this point he was doing it automatically.  
"It's your room, Viktor," Yuuri closed the door and leaned against it, cutting off Viktor's line of retreat. "I obviously came here to talk to you."  
"Oh," Viktor gasped. He didn't know if he should sit back down or keep standing awkwardly in front of Yuuri, what he should do with his hands, whether he should say anything and if he should look at Yuuri or avoid making eye contact. Would it be very weird if he took Yuuri's hand now and swept his thumb across his knuckles? It probably would...  
While Viktor was fighting all kinds of ridiculous urges, Yuuri was trying to come up with something to say. He didn't really think it through. He had battled himself all day about Mila's words and then on a whim he ended up in Viktor's room. He was looking at the man standing before him and for the first time he let himself notice something he had been blocking out before.  
"I am an idiot, don't you think?" he chuckled, causing Viktor to finally look straight at him.  
"No! Not at all!" Viktor began to ensure him with passion. "You are great! Don't look down on yourself!"  
Yuuri giggled. "Vitya," he hummed and Viktor fell silent immediately, picking up the affection in his voice. "I always thought I can't let you know how much I... how I feel... how I..." he trailed off, still reluctant to put a name to his feelings. "I was wrong, don't you think?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I noticed while I was busy the number of kudos exceeded a hundred. And right now, as I am typing it, the number of hits on this work is exactly 2000. Thank you a lot, everyone! I aprecciate you showing interest in my writing so so very much! <3


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realised in other countries milk bars are not a thing or are an entirely different thing than in Poland, so putting it in the story didn't make much sense. Luckily, in Russia they have a similar thing, called Столовая, so that's where they had their lunch. Sorry for the slip.

The next day Viktor was slightly hung over. He also expected to be reprimanded by Yakov, whose calls he had ignored yesterday. That's why he went to the rink with his head down and he didn't see Yuuri, who was trying to wave him over. Only when Yuuri caught him up and called his name did he notice him.  
"I didn't know you would still be here," he mumbled, unsure if he was allowed to talk to Yuuri now.  
"I was waiting for you."  
Yuuri's training was over an hour ago and usually he left the rink long before Viktor arrived. That's why Viktor didn't expect to see him there. Hearing that Yuuri _wanted_ to meet him Viktor was hopeful, but he couldn't help worrying a little too.  
"About yesterday... you were pretty drunk, weren't you?"  
Viktor nodded carefully. He was afraid the conversation wasn't going in the right direction. Was Yuuri going to say it was all a mistake?  
"So... do you remember what happened?" Yuuri asked, blushing.  
Viktor did remember everything. Yuuri had said something that sounded almost like _"I love you"_ , so Viktor kissed him. Yuuri kissed him back at first, but then he broke the kiss and _laughed_ at him. And then he said it was late and they needed to sleep. And he left.  
For a second Viktor considered apologising. But Yuuri hadn't seemed to dislike it when Viktor had kissed him. Right now he looked more embarrassed than upset, too. And if Viktor apologised for kissing Yuuri, wouldn't it send a wrong message? So he kept himself from saying sorry.  
"I remember..." he muttered instead.  
"And? Do you still... About what I said... I mean..." Yuuri floundered and kept blushing harder and harder.  
Before Viktor managed to snap out of amazement or Yuuri could choke out whatever he was trying to say, they were interrupted by Yakov.  
"Quit the ambiguities and just get married already!" he deadpanned, snapping their attention to himself. Ignoring their flabbergasted faces he continued: "You're late, Viktor. You have five minutes and I want to see you on the ice." With that, he walked away.  
Yuuri and Viktor stared at each other.  
"Did he just say... what I think it was?" Yuuri asked in a high-pitched voice.  
"I think... I heard it too," Viktor mumbled. "But maybe he's right...?" he blurted out.  
"Right? About what?" Yuuri squeaked. "Did you just... propose?"  
"Maybe?..." Viktor trailed, but then doubt began to come over him. "Too soon? Sorry, forget..."  
"I will," Yuuri interrupted him.  
"Huh?"  
"I'll marry you."  
And then, realising what he'd just said...  
"Oh, you were going to take it back..."  
"No! I wasn't! I love you!" Viktor shouted, waving his hands vehemently. Yuuri's eyes started to fill up with tears, but before Viktor could begin to worry that he jumped the gun again, Yuuri replied: "I love you too."  
"Viktor Nikiforov!" Yakov shouted from the opposite end of the room. "How much longer am I supposed to wait for you?"  
"I have to go," Viktor whispered, taking Yuuri's hands.  
"Can I go with you? To watch you?" Yuuri suggested tentatively. Viktor's face lit up.  
"I would love that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta-dah! Someone finally said the title in the fic.  
> Yes, I've been planning it since the beginning ^^


	17. Chapter 17

Yakov let Viktor out of practice early. He was very pleased with his performance today. True, Viktor was distracted all day, taking unscheduled breaks to say something to Yuuri. Yakov wasn't sure if Viktor registered any feedback he was giving him, because he looked at Yuuri, smiled and waved at him throughout their conversation. But for the first time in a very long time Yakov saw real passion in Viktor's skating. A flame that had withered away before Viktor left for Japan was finally back. Viktor was once again having fun on the ice, playing with his movements. He was showing off for Yuuri. As his coach, Yakov was shaking his head at how easily Viktor let his love life affect his career. But privately he was happy for him. And he enjoyed the show. Viktor showing off on the ice was a spectacular view.  
Yuuri and Viktor left the rink together, holding hands and whispering to each other. Yakov followed them with his eyes. He wondered if that was how parents felt at weddings - exhilarated and relieved. When Georgi showed up for his training, he found Yakov spacing out with a blissful expression on his face.  
Viktor and Yuuri strolled along without any set destination. They talked about all kinds of things. They just missed each other and they were making up for lost time. First they talked about the training session that just ended, then Viktor asked Yuuri about his skating. Viktor promised Yuuri to come to his next practice and support him, when Yuuri admitted he wasn't doing very well without him. Viktor told Yuuri what he had heard from Yuri Plisetsky and then they exchanged their stories of his attempts at bringing them together. They remembered how annoying it was at the time, but now, together, they laughed about it. They discovered they both heard what Yuri and Mila were talking about in the milk bar. Then the conversation flowed to everything other people had told them. Viktor recounted his video chat with Chris and Minako-sensei's visit in his hotel room and Yuuri told him about Phichit's, Mari's and Yuuko's advice. Obviously, they discussed the interview and the article, too. They joked about being clueless and teased each other playfully, but after a short moment of silence Yuuri looked up at Viktor with a serious expression.  
"I'm sorry. I wasn't able to get my act together and I hurt you. I shouldn't have doubted you."  
"You didn't doubt me, you doubted yourself," Viktor said gently. "Which is even worse, because how dare you insult my Yuuri like that?! Don't you know he's the most amazing person in the world? I won't allow anyone to crap on him, even you!" he added with a smirk and a feigned outrage.  
Yuuri blushed and giggled at the same time. He looked so cute, Viktor needed to kiss him. And he did, because he could. Yuuri clung to him, returning the kiss. It was the third time they kissed, but only first when they both understood its meaning.  
After a while their lips parted, but their faces remained close. Their foreheads were touching, their hands were still in each other's hair. Yuuri's eyes were closed, but Viktor looked at him, committing every little detail to memory. He observed the arch of Yuuri's smile and the blush covering his cheeks. When his breath steadied, he spoke up again.  
"I'm sorry too. I assumed you would guess how I felt. I should have told you. I made you overthink it. And then I fretted and fumed like a child when you said you wished we never met."  
"I didn't mean it," Yuuri intercepted hastily. "I was... in the middle of a panic attack."  
"I know. And I'm sorry I didn't notice it right away."  
"I'm sorry I overreacted. It was stupid..."  
"Oh no, don't apologize for that!" Viktor cut him short. Yuuri still seemed insecure, so Viktor looked around searching for a distraction. "Enough apologies for today. I have an idea," he said, pulling Yuuri towards a retro candy shop.  
When they entered, Viktor scanned the shelves until he found what he was looking for. He pulled Yuuri there and knelt down in front of him. He couldn't tell who was more surprised by that - Yuuri or the shopkeeper.  
"I proposed to you today," he explained.  
"And I've already said yes," Yuuri replied, still confused.  
"Well, we already have engagement rings... But I feel I should still put something on your hand."  
Viktor took a candy bracelet from the shelf, opened the package and put the bracelet on Yuuri's hand. Yuuri blushed and giggled again and once again Viktor had to kiss him. When he moved away, Yuuri took one more bracelet out of its package.  
"My turn," he said, kneeling down. "Will you marry me, Vitya?"  
"I will," Viktor replied, offering his hand to Yuuri, so that he could put the bracelet on it. And then he took Yuuri's hand and brought it to his lips. He bit at a candy on Yuuri's bracelet. Yuuri blushed heavily and Viktor wanted to kiss him again, but the shopkeeper's grunt stopped him.  
"It's all very sweet, but you have to pay for it before you eat it," she reminded.  
Viktor apologised quickly and paid for the candy bracelets, leaving a big tip. He took Yuuri's hand and they walked out of the shop. They continued to walk down the street. They didn't talk now, but once every few steps Viktor brought Yuuri's hand up and bit off a candy from his bracelet, brushing his lips on Yuuri's wrist. Yuuri blushed every time.  
"You're going to eat all of my candies," he said after about the tenth time.  
"You can have mine then," Viktor offered, pulling his hand forward.  
Yuuri hesitated for a second, but then a playful spark appeared in his eyes and he leaned in very slowly. He ate one candy after another, keeping his lips on Viktor's wrist and moving them sensually. Viktor shivered and his heart was somersaulting inside his chest. When Yuuri was done with the candies, Viktor was close to collapsing, because his legs didn't work properly anymore. Yuuri looked up at him, the sultriness left his eyes slowly and then, suddenly overwhelmed by his own audacity, he blushed again. Viktor really had to kiss him when he blushed like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the longest chapter in this story. It wasn't supposed to be, I just couldn't stop writing. It's still relatively short tough.  
> A lot have happened lately. I got a job. And I [started tumblr](https://morgrug.tumblr.com/). I only did that to follow [crimson chains](https://crimson-chains.tumblr.com/), but I got into it and now I'm participating in a [YOI remix challenge](https://yoiremixchallenge.tumblr.com/). So we'll see what happens next. But the rest of this fic is almost written, I just need to make some decisions.  
> Anyways, it's almost done, two or three chapters to go.  
> And by the way, [candy bracelets](https://www.google.com/search?q=bransoletka+z+cukierk%C3%B3w&rlz=1C1GCEA_enPL942PL942&sxsrf=ALeKk02czGDght2de2QPTR3Nw7mMABcePw:1614819026819&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwip7ODTtZXvAhXmpIsKHRIXDmcQ_AUoAXoECBUQAw&biw=1120&bih=590&dpr=1.5#imgrc=ZePL6Y140sbwtM). Once again, I'm not sure if it's a thing in other countries...


End file.
